Role of Resonances in the Transmission of Surface Plasmon Polaritons between Nanostructures

Review of Biosensors Based on Plasmonic-Enhanced Processes in the Metallic and Meta-Material-Supported Nanostructures

Surface plasmons, continuous and cumulative electron vibrations confined to metal-dielectric interfaces, play a pivotal role in aggregating optical fields and energies on nanostructures. This confinement exploits the intrinsic subwavelength nature of their spatial profile, significantly enhancing light-matter interactions. Metals, semiconductors, and 2D materials exhibit plasmonic resonances at diverse wavelengths, spanning from ultraviolet (UV) to far infrared, dictated by their unique properties and structures. Surface plasmons offer a platform for various light-matter interaction mechanisms, capitalizing on the orders-of-magnitude enhancement of the electromagnetic field within plasmonic structures. This enhancement has been substantiated through theoretical, computational, and experimental studies. In this comprehensive review, we delve into the plasmon-enhanced processes on metallic and metamaterial-based sensors, considering factors such as geometrical influences, resonating wavelengths, chemical properties, and computational methods. Our exploration extends to practical applications, encompassing localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR)-based planar waveguides, polymer-based biochip sensors, and LSPR-based fiber sensors. Ultimately, we aim to provide insights and guidelines for the development of next-generation, high-performance plasmonic technological devices.

Ultrafast Dynamic Microscopy of Carrier and Exciton Transport

We highlight the recent progress in ultrafast dynamic microscopy that combines ultrafast optical spectroscopy with microscopy approaches, focusing on the application transient absorption microscopy (TAM) to directly image energy and charge transport in solar energy harvesting and conversion systems. We discuss the principles, instrumentation, and resolutions of TAM. The simultaneous spatial, temporal, and excited-state-specific resolutions of TAM unraveled exciton and charge transport mechanisms that were previously obscured in conventional ultrafast spectroscopy measurements for systems such as organic solar cells, hybrid perovskite thin films, and molecular aggregates. We also discuss future directions to improve resolutions and to develop other ultrafast imaging contrasts beyond transient absorption.

Ultrafast measurements of the dynamics of single nanostructures: a review

The ability to study single particles has revolutionized nanoscience. The advantage of single particle spectroscopy measurements compared to conventional ensemble studies is that they remove averaging effects from the different sizes and shapes that are present in the samples. In time-resolved experiments this is important for unraveling homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening effects in lifetime measurements. In this report, recent progress in the development of ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopic techniques for interrogating single nanostructures will be discussed. The techniques include far-field experiments that utilize high numerical aperture (NA) microscope objectives, near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) measurements, ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM), and time-resolved x-ray diffraction experiments. Examples will be given of the application of these techniques to studying energy relaxation processes in nanoparticles, and the motion of plasmons, excitons and/or charge carriers in different types of nanostructures.

Laser-assisted fabrication of gold nanoparticle-composed structures embedded in borosilicate glass

We present results on laser-assisted formation of two- and three-dimensional structures comprised of gold nanoparticles in glass. The sample material was gold-ion-doped borosilicate glass prepared by conventional melt quenching. The nanoparticle growth technique consisted of two steps - laser-induced defect formation and annealing. The first step was realized by irradiating the glass by nanosecond and femtosecond laser pulses over a wide range of fluences and number of applied pulses. The irradiation by nanosecond laser pulses (emitted by a Nd:YAG laser system) induced defect formation, expressed by brown coloration of the glass sample, only at a wavelength of 266 nm. At 355, 532 and 1064 nm, no coloration of the sample was observed. The femtosecond laser irradiation at 800 nm also induced defects, again observed as brown coloration. The absorbance spectra indicated that this coloration was related to the formation of oxygen deficiency defects. After annealing, the color of the irradiated areas changed to pink, with a corresponding well-defined peak in the absorbance spectrum. We relate this effect to the formation of gold nanoparticles with optical properties defined by plasmon excitation. Their presence was confirmed by high-resolution TEM analysis. No nanoparticle formation was observed in the samples irradiated by nanosecond pulses at 355, 532 and 1064 nm. The optical properties of the irradiated areas were found to depend on the laser processing parameters; these properties were studied based on Mie theory, which was also used to correlate the experimental optical spectra and the characteristics of the nanoparticles formed. We also discuss the influence of the processing conditions on the characteristics of the particles formed and the mechanism of their formation and demonstrate the fabrication of structures composed of nanoparticles inside the glass sample. This technique can be used for the preparation of 3D nanoparticle systems embedded in transparent materials with potential applications in the design of new optical components, such as metamaterials and in plasmonics.

Surface Plasmon Polariton Interference in Gold Nanoplates

Transient absorption microscopy (TAM) measurements have been used to study the optical properties of surface plasmon polariton (SPP) modes in gold nanoplates on a glass substrate. For thin gold nanoplates, the TAM images show an oscillation in the signal across the plate due to interference between the "bound" and "leaky" SPP modes. The wavelength of the interference pattern is given by λ = 2π/Δk, where Δk is the difference between the wavevectors for the bound and leaky modes and is sensitive to the dielectric constant of the material above the gold nanoplate. Back focal plane imaging was also used to measure the wavevector of the leaky mode, which, in combination with the Δk information from the TAM images, enabled the bound mode wavevector to be determined. These experiments represent the first far-field optical measurement of the wavevector for the bound mode in metal nanostructures.

Enlightening surface plasmon resonance effect of metal nanoparticles for practical spectroscopic application

Pictorial depiction of applications of metal nanoparticles in different fields enlightening surface plasmon resonance effect.